Literary notes about man (AI summary)
The word “man” in literature frequently operates as a multifaceted signifier that can evoke both individual character and the broader human condition. It is used to outline personal virtue, deficiency, or transformation, as when a heroic individual is heralded for his progressive traits and public-spirited nature ([1]), or when man’s propensity for error and moral frailty is underscored ([2]). At times, it conveys a sense of the everyday person caught in social and legal frameworks, or the archetypal figure whose actions reverberate with the universal struggles and dilemmas of humankind ([3], [4]). Whether imbuing a character with distinction or critiquing his limitations, “man” serves as a powerful literary tool to explore and illuminate the complexities of identity and existence.
- Major Spencer is the most progressive and public-spirited man in Avonlea.
— from Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery - O how great is the frailty of man, which is ever prone to evil!
— from The Imitation of Christ by à Kempis Thomas - There is no longer any need to refer to the prudent man, or general experience.
— from The Common Law by Oliver Wendell Holmes - I am going to-morrow where I shall find a man who has not one agreeable quality, who has neither manner nor sense to recommend him.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
